Not sure what your plans are for the frame finish but THIS is a pretty good read, which also spins some links off on anodizing and how to remove it.

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Well, as I remember it, when I acquired my P.K., all of 'em...and I mean ALL of em'...were naked aluminum. In fact, I remember being pretty pissed, the first time I saw a colored (painted/powdercoated) P.K.

So, that being the case, in my diluted memory, I thought I should stay with the naked frame for this bike (since, to me, that meant "original").

Because of this, and since z-man99 turned me onto the original ball burnishing contractor, my plan was to ship the bike, to have it ballburnished. That being posted, I've been doing breathing exercises to get past the anxiety of handing a totally irreplaceable item, to the UPS man. This frame/fork combo, and I, have been under the same roof, since we first met.

I've been doing breathing exercises to get past the anxiety of handing a totally irreplaceable item, to the UPS man.

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First make sure you package it very well, I have had dropouts show up completely mangled by being tossed around during shipping. Second require a signature for shipping along with insurance. I have been screwed by UPS for having insurance but without the signature, the response was "we show it being delivered in the system".

First make sure you package it very well, I have had dropouts show up completely mangled by being tossed around during shipping. Second require a signature for shipping along with insurance. I have been screwed by UPS for having insurance but without the signature, the response was "we show it being delivered in the system".

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I put the smilie because the guy I'm sending it to said, "Make sure you wrap the shit outta' that thing!" Apparently, y'all share the same view.

I forgot that a person could request a signature. I will definitely be doing that...

Don't be cheap about insuring your package either. If it costs and extra $5 to insure if for full replacement value, and then some, then do it.

Also, use a bolt, washers and nuts in the rear dropouts....tighten it down like an axle to keep the rear of the frame from being squished.

I unbox and assemble new bikes all the time at work, and they DO get damaged! Some completely totaled. I opened up a 29er the other day, and the fork steerer tube was bent, sticking up out of the top of the head tube. I inspected the frame and saw it was bent and cracked just below the downtube/headtube junction. I looked at the box and saw that it looked like an accordion on one end!

I used to work a race shop and we would tell our new shipping guys to double box everything of value. Put a box and then a bigger box with padding between the two of them.
We would have them box something fragile and not valuable, bring them up to the mezzanine with our big biker truck driver. He was intimidating looking but a nice guy. We would then ask them "Are you sure it won't break?" If they said "yes" Harvey would say "OK, I am going to drop it and Rich will open it. If it is fine you are hired and I buy you lunch today. If it breaks you are following it off this mezzanine"

Okay, guys: I'm rogered-up on the shipping insurance and packaging. Should I decide to ship the frame, I will follow your advice to a "T". Thank y'all for all the great (experienced) input.

The forks went to the chrome shop, today. The good news is that the original quote they gave me (over the phone) was more then what they are actually gonna' charge me. The cost went from "stupid expensive" to just "crazy expensive".

With the exception of the light blue Landing Gear decals, they are all exact duplicates of what my bike came with, back in '81/'82. In regard to the above fork decals, my bike originally came with black Landing Gear lettering.

Back in the day, I was always subconsciously upset that the fork decals didn't match the rest of the decals on the bike (SE Racing colors); So, I am finally gonna' be able to make that right.

I'm not a big fan of differentshades of the same color on a bike so my choice would be black wheels and components.

YMMV

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HD,

I have so many things I want to type, in response to your post. They are things that have been running through my mind for months (if not years). Since I can't possibly collect all my thoughts, I will try to put them in "bullets" (thanks to my shot brain, and ADHD)...

-Originally, I thought about buying a pair of SE blue Tuffs, and re-anodizing all the components that I bought (to match). That idea imploded when I discovered that the last batch of SE blue Tuffs is sold out. That was really a blessing, as the combo woulda' (for me) reduced the finished bike to a mantel piece.

-When I decided that this project was gonna' be a "rider", my first choice was the black Tuffs and components. Black Tuffs are so practical; They are strong, and maintain their appearance. Colored Tuffs always get a black "sidewall", from the brakes, no matter what color brake pads a person uses. Despite my attraction to the black Tuffs, I did not want to go to all-black emblems. With the exception of the Landing Gear decals, I wanted to decorate the bike in the same emblems that it originally came with. Despite that, I have seen the pic you posted, and like it very much. But, you will notice that he has black emblems.

-In the last few weeks, I have looked at a lot of the pics on the I-net. And, a few nights ago, I found a pic of a bike that was set-up exactly as I hope mine will be (in terms of the decals and naked frame). That particular bike also had standard blue Tuffs and components. Like you, HD, I didn't think it would look good (because of the combo of all the colors). But, to my surprise, it looked great! And, of course (as is my luck), I can't find that damned photo.

So, all that being posted, I could be happy either way (black or blue). And, because of that, I thought I'd leave it to the guys on ADV.

This thread has shaken the cobwebs off a couple of disjointed memories for me.

It must have been circa 1978 because my family still lived in littleton, colorado. There was a bike shop down on Santa Fe drive called J&E sports. They had bare SE frames on the wall and me and my older brother had to have them. We rode our bikes the 5 miles to get there. (I think I had a mongoose with the aluminum "mag" wheels, the name escapes me.)

We begged our generous relatives for money to build our bikes from parts. i remember writing my great aunt and asking for "frog skins". i must have read that terminology somewhere.

The bikes probably came to 3 or 400 bucks? which is a ton of money. i need to try to remember what components I assembled but all I can come up with is that it was a trick "3 piece" crankset and some sort of wide gooseneck. Cant remember what wheels, forks etc but maybe I had a "fluted" seat stem.

My brother's frame was "shot peened" silver and had a round top tube. Mine was chocolate brown paint and had both tubes oval. Not sure if his was more "trick" or not.

I might be way off on the price and other details but I'm remembering more as i type. Better quit before I really get off track.

This thread has shaken the cobwebs off a couple of disjointed memories for me...

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It's a bitch gettin' older; Don't ask me how I know.

Like you, this thread is (slowly) bringing back memories for me. Unfortunately, for me, the memories are coming-back in snapshots: snapshots that have been soaking in water, for the last 30 years. Needless to say, they're a little murky.

Last night, my cousin and her husband came to visit. I told them that I had recently undertaken the restoration. And, like you (while speaking with them), I suddenly remembered how off-the-chart the SE Racing prices were (back then), and was trying to make that point to them.

As I remember it, back then, the P.K costs about three times as much as some really great racing models (Diamondback, Redline, etc.) Also, on top of that (and I don't know if your experiences were the same), I never...EVER...saw another SE Racing bike (P.K., Quadangle, cruiser, etc.) in or around my neighborhood. It was just that rare.

In regard to your bikes, your brother might have owned one of the prototypes that, eventually, became the "P.K. Ripper" (after Perry Kramer added his personal touches). With the exception of the paint, yours definitely sounds like a P.K.

As I posted earlier in the thread, I don't remember seeing painted P.K.s, until a few years after I got mine. That doesn't mean they didn't exist. It just means I don't remember them.

Just curious, but what did those motomags weigh in comparison to Skyways?

I bought a set of Skyways once, many years ago. I saved for months, and when I finally got to the closest bicycle shop, all they had in stock, were pink ones! And I had a pearl white bike....with pink Skyways! It was a 60 mile drive (each way) to the nearest bike shop back then, and no way was I waiting!

I've seen a set of 24" Skyways for sale locally, and would REALLY love to put them on my Mongoose.

Just curious, but what did those motomags weigh in comparison to Skyways?

I bought a set of Skyways once, many years ago. I saved for months, and when I finally got to the closest bicycle shop, all they had in stock, were pink ones! And I had a pearl white bike....with pink Skyways! It was a 60 mile drive (each way) to the nearest bike shop back then, and no way was I waiting!

I've seen a set of 24" Skyways for sale locally, and would REALLY love to put them on my Mongoose.

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The Motomags were heavier than the Tuffs (especially the Tuff II's). Also, the smaller spokes, the ones between the main spokes, broke easily if knocked against other bikes, rocks, etc. Back in the day I built up a bike for my younger brother using a broken pair of Moto's, and I cut out the remaining small spokes and also drilled out the main spokes to lighten the wheels up a bit.